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Prompts for DeepSeek: explicit format and tests

Templates for engineering tasks: specs, implementations, and test-driven outputs.

Last updated: · Markdown version

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What changes with this model

Even if prompt structure is similar, each model has biases: some follow strict instructions better, some are more creative, and some need examples. These templates are designed to reduce ambiguity and improve consistency.

Recommendation: define output format (ideally with a checklist), add constraints, and if you need precision, use few-shot or require strict JSON.

Strict JSONFew-shotHallucinations

Current models Promptea supports

Data taken from each provider’s official documentation; every entry shows the date it was last verified.

DeepSeek Flash (V4.1)

default

DeepSeek's standard model (V4.1-Flash, Sep 2026): 1M context, text and image input, thinking and non-thinking modes. Ask for tests and edge cases for code.

Context window
1M tokens
Max output
384K tokens
Input / output
text, image / text
Latency
fast
Structured output
yes
Tool use / native search
yes / no

How to prompt it: Thinking is on by default (effort high): drop to low or 'none' for quick tasks. In JSON mode include the word 'json' plus an example of the format with generous max_tokens, and pass reasoning_content back in full in tool loops.

Verified on September 24, 2026 · official source

DeepSeek V4 Pro

DeepSeek's most capable model (V4-Pro-0813, text only): excels at reasoning and code with explicit acceptance criteria.

Context window
1M tokens
Max output
384K tokens
Input / output
text / text
Latency
balanced
Structured output
yes
Tool use / native search
yes / no

How to prompt it: Give explicit acceptance criteria, tests, and edge cases for code, and pick effort per task (low for simple, high for daily agent work, max for complex). Sampling params are ignored in thinking mode — steer with instructions, not temperature.

Verified on September 24, 2026 · official source

Quick tips
Templates
Implement from spec (with tests)
Implement this feature:
[spec]

Constraints:
- language: [x]
- style: [x]
Return:
1) brief plan
2) code
3) tests
4) how to run
Opens the analyzer with the prompt prefilled.
Open in Promptea
FAQ
Why insist on tests?
It forces the solution to be verifiable. Without tests, you get plausible but brittle code.